This application relates to electronic computing and more particularly to configuration information in virtual computing systems.
High-end computer systems which support partitioning of the server to smaller systems running multiple instances of Operating Systems (OS) are gaining acceptance. Existing systems support two types of partitioning mechanisms: hard partitions and virtual partitions.
Hard partitions are electrically isolated and have their own central processing unit (CPU), memory and input/output (I/O) resources. Hardware faults in these partitions are self contained and do not affect the other partitions within the same server complex. Resources available within a hard partition can be expanded dynamically by adding more resources, e.g., CPUs, memory and I/O slots. Hard partitions may be expanded by adding a group of CPUs, memory and I/O to the existing partition.
Virtual partitions are software-created partitions. Virtual partitions share computing resources within an existing system (or hard partition) and are implemented via a low level partition manager (or monitor), which controls both the allocation and visibility of computing resources to different instances of operating systems executing on the different virtual partitions. These partitions provide software fault isolation across OS instances. Likewise, it is possible to allocate and/or constrain computing resources between the virtual partitions of an existing system (or hard partition).
In some partitioned computer systems a host system executes a software module, referred to herein as a hypervisor, which fulfills the role of a low level partition manager or monitor in the management of computing resources. This hypervisor allows users to instantiate virtual machines, which present themselves to the virtual machine host as physical servers.
Currently, hypervisors are managed as one would manage any operating system or software loaded onto physical computer system hardware. Under this structure the hypervisor configuration settings may only be managed when the hypervisor is booted and running. From a user's perspective, a hypervisor could be considered to be an extension of the computer system hardware itself, rather than software running on the hardware, and should be able to be managed as such.